The Back Label of Your Quaker State Bottle Provides Important Information about Specifications and More

When you’re looking to change the oil in your vehicle, it’s easy to find the basic information you need – the viscosity and oil type are shown clearly on the front of the familiar green bottle of Quaker State. But if you turn the bottle around, there is a lot more information available to you about the motor oil that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Looking at the back label of the bottle can be especially helpful if you are uncertain about which Quaker State Full Synthetic motor oil is best for your vehicle. At the top of the label is a chart showing how Quaker State motor oil, Quaker State High Mileage, and Quaker State Full Synthetic can help your engine by:

• ·Protecting against wear¹ 
• Combating engine sludge and deposits²

Below that you will find a line that says, “Lubricants Limited Warranty and Cash Back Program.” The warranty covers 15 critical engine parts for 10 years or 300,000 miles from your first qualifying oil change.

Next is a section about the vehicle manufacturer and American Petroleum Institute (API) specifications that the oil meets or exceeds. It is very important to check your vehicle’s owner manual to confirm that the motor oil you’re selecting meets the specifications of your vehicle and those of API.

The most important specification is that the motor oil meets or exceeds the API SP or ILSAC GF-6 specification which is designed to provide protection against low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) and protection against timing chain wear. The “Starburst" image on a bottle signifies oils that meet the latest International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committee (ILSAC) standard, currently designated ILSAC GF-6. Motor oils meeting the GF-6 specification also offer many benefits including:

• Improved high temperature deposit protection for pistons and turbochargers 
• More stringent sludge and varnish control 
• Improved fuel economy 
• Enhanced emission control system protection

The GF-6A motor oil specification is designed for efficient, high-performance gasoline-powered engines, many of which require a low viscosity motor oil to meet the needs of vehicle manufacturers. GF-6A is backward compatible with previous motor oil specifications, meaning that it is designed to work in older engines calling for a previous specification such as GF-5 or GF-4.

The API Service Symbol, commonly known as the “Donut” on the right side of the label, confirms that the oil meets their specifications and is high quality. On a bottle of Quaker State 5W-30 Full Synthetic motor oil, you will see this “Donut.”

At the top of the “Donut” is the current API Service Category, API SP, which is for use on motor oils designed for cars, vans, and light trucks with gasoline engines. If you drive an older vehicle that calls for an older category, API SP motor oils can also be used as they are backward compatible with previous categories. The middle of the “Donut” shows the viscosity grade of the motor oil and at the bottom, it will say “Resource Conserving,” which may result in overall savings of fuel in the vehicle.

When you shop at an auto parts retailer, the back label on every bottle of Quaker State motor oil provides the information you need about the motor oil and the specifications it meets. If you’re shopping on QuakerState.com, you can find the correct oil through our Find the Right Motor Oil search tool. For more information or questions regarding API standards, contact the Pennzoil Transport and Industry Customers line at 1-800-332-6457.

^{1 Compared to industry standard Sequence IVA
2 Based on Sequence IIIH & VH tests on 0W-20 engine oil}